doctoral degree
Highest academic credential
A doctoral degree is the highest academic credential awarded by universities, requiring original research culminating in a dissertation.
The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the most common type, awarded across disciplines from physics to literature.
Professional doctorates exist in fields like medicine (MD), law (JD), and education (EdD).
Completing a doctoral degree typically takes four to seven years beyond the bachelor's level.
- ABDPre-dissertation doctoral status
- PhDHighest academic credential
- JDProfessional legal degree
- dissertationExtended academic treatise
- MDPhysician's degree letters
qualifying exams · candidacy · MBA · orals · thesis · dissertation committee · thesis defense · viva · regalia · commencement ceremony · DNP · graduation · academic regalia · advisor · postdoc · tenure track · tenure · MSc
- degreeshigh school diploma, GED, BS, PhD, MA
- Academic DegreesPhD, MBA, BS, MD, JD
- grad schooldissertation, thesis committee, PhD program, graduate school, graduate student
- Medical CredentialsMD, RN, NP, PA, BSN
doctoral degreehigh school diploma
Secondary graduation certificate
bachelor's degree · GED · master's degree · elementary education · undergraduate degree
doctoral degreeself-taught
Educated without instructors
uneducated · unschooled · dropout · autodidact · high school dropout
doctoral degreeself-taught
Educated without instructors
autodidact · layperson · uncredentialed · practical experience · on-the-job training
doctor, degree, doctors, doctored, doctoring, doctorate, doctoral, doctorates, postdoctoral